Xeon E5420 vs i7-4790K

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1208	2281
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.85	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Power efficiency	5.46	1.50
Architecture codename	Devil's Canyon	no data
Release date	June 2014 (10 years ago)	1 October 2007 (17 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$339	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	4 (Quad-Core)	no data
Threads	8	no data
Base clock speed	4 GHz	2.5 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.4 GHz	no data
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64K (per core)	no data
L2 cache	256K (per core)	no data
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	12 MB L2 Cache
Chip lithography	22 nm	45 nm
Die size	177 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	no data	67 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,400 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-
VID voltage range	no data	0.85V-1.35V

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	no data
Socket	FCLGA1150	LGA771
Power consumption (TDP)	88 Watt	80 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	no data
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	-
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	-
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Demand Based Switching	no data	+
FDI	+	no data
FSB parity	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	-
OS Guard	+	no data
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420 are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	-
VT-d	+	no data
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	-

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	no data
Maximum memory size	32 GB	no data
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 4600	no data
Max video memory	2 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.25 GHz	no data
Execution Units	20	no data
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	no data
eDP	+	no data
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-
DVI	+	no data
VGA	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	3840x2160@24Hz	no data
Max resolution over eDP	3840x2160@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over DisplayPort	3840x2160@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over VGA	1920x1200@60Hz	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	11.2/12	no data
OpenGL	4.3	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420.

PCIe version	3.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	16	no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	5.08	1.27
Recency	on June 2014	1 October 2007
Chip lithography	22 nm	45 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	88 Watt	80 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4790K and Xeon E5420, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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